


Nothing Feels Like You

by tedaltmans



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Amerikate week, F/F, famous/not famous AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tedaltmans/pseuds/tedaltmans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you tell someone that you’re kind of a superstar? Kate’s just going to have to wing this one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Feels Like You

**Author's Note:**

> Written for AmeriKate Week.
> 
> The song Kate, Anya, Kamala, and Cassie sing is "Nothing Feels Like You" by Little Mix.

The music reverberating through the club was thudding through Kate’s heart. She stirred her drink with her straw, ice tinking against her glass as she smiled at the woman across the tiny circular table. America was the most beautiful woman she’d ever met, from her silky brown curls all the way down to her red-white-and-blue painted toe nails. And when Kate had found out about that little detail, she stopped questioning whether America had a sense of humor or not.

She didn’t know America all that well, actually. Between show dates, interviews, photo shoots, and doing the actual work of writing and recording music with the rest of Legacy, she didn’t have a lot of time to date. Kate couldn’t believe that they had been able to make it to date number three.

The best part about it was that America apparently still didn’t realize that she was one of the four members of a top-charted girl group. America just knew her as Kate. Even when she’d asked, America had insisted that she didn’t listen to music that often. For the first time in years Kate had enjoyed a date without the added pressure of her career.

Leaning forward, Kate rested her elbow on the table and slid her palm to the side of her neck. Her hair slipped at the motion, falling over her shoulder in a sheet that shielded her face from the other club patrons. She felt paranoid, constantly checking over her shoulder to make sure no one had noticed her. Her eyes strayed from her companion to loop around the crowded club once more.

“You alright?” America asked.

Jerked out of her thoughts, Kate refocused her eyes on America. “Yeah, fine.”

“You sure?” America reached for Kate’s hand across the sleek metal of the table. Her thumb lightly stroked over the back of pale knuckles. “You seem kind of distracted.”

 

“Sorry.” Kate blushed and ducked her head. She squeezed the hand in hers. “I guess I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Kate smiled wider. Those brown eyes were full of concern—total, genuine concern—for Kate’s life and worries. It didn’t matter that they were in a club surrounded by beautiful people and loud music and strong drinks. America only had eyes for her. And that was why she really really wanted to keep having these dates. The only thing was—she was eventually going to have to tell America about her day job.

“Nah, that’s alright.” She finished off her drink and held America’s eyes as she said her next words. “I wouldn’t mind going somewhere a little quieter, though.”

“Sure thing, Princess.” America was smiling too, all the way to her eyes, and she stood from the table without dropping her hold on Kate’s hand. Kate allowed America to lead her to the door, carefully avoiding eye contact and shielding her face when she could. She found that an excellent excuse to look down and away from other people was to check out America’s ass.

They stepped into the cool New York night air, taxis driving by and music pouring out from other nearby clubs. Kate leaned in close to America’s side and laced their fingers together. America’s shoulder purposefully brushed against her own and Kate played out a celebratory dance inside her mind. 

“My place isn’t much,” America said as they started down the sidewalk, “but it’s only about three blocks away.”

“I’d like a walk,” Kate agreed. And it would be a step up from their evening in Kate’s hotel room at least—a little more personal and a little less time dodging cameras. 

They passed only a few other people as they continued down the block, the dull clicking of Kate’s heels filling the silence between them.

“So you going to tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours?” America asked. Unfortunately, she didn’t know that Kate was a pro at deflecting questions. Instead, she grinned wickedly and tilted her head just so in order to brush her nose against America’s cheek.

“I’m thinking that when I get to your place there’ll be red pleather couches, blue drapes, and white shag rugs.” America considered her theory for a moment.

“Well, they’re not pleather,” she replied and Kate let out a loud laugh. “I do have red wine, though.”

“Ooh, there’s a start.”

“And the counters are white.”

“So that’s two down. What about blue?”

America was silent for a moment. Kate grew suspicious.

“Panties?”

Tanned cheeks flushed. “No.”

Kate narrowed her eyes and raised a single brow. “Am I gonna have to check for myself?”

“I’m game,” America bumped their shoulders together playfully. “But by then you’ll have seen what I’ve got that are actually blue.”

Kate thought about it for another moment as they continued walking. She stopped short as America turned toward her stoop.

“Are you about to tell me you have blue bed sheets?”

America smirked. “Why don’t you come look?”

As is turned out, America did actually have blue sheets and one of her pillows even had tiny stars on it. Later that night, as Kate lay curled up beside her, their hair mixing together in a pool across the pillows, she pulled those sheets around her and decided that she wanted this all to happen again. A lot.

She had to tell America what she did for a living. Kate sighed deeply and ran her fingertips up and down America’s spine. And it was now or never.

“America?” she asked into the dark room. With their closeness and the late hour, Kate’s voice barely rose above a whisper.

“Sí amorcita?” The Spanish was sleep-slurred and Kate only halfway understood the term of endearment. America didn’t open her eyes but did stroke a thumb against her side to show that she was listening. Kate reached up to brush loose curls away from her cheek.

“Do you want to go out with me again?”

“Right now?” America laughed lightly. “Can we have a nap first?”

Just like that, a weight lifted from Kate’s chest. It was easy, being here and kidding around with America. She wanted to keep that.

“Hmm, I guess that’s alright.” She settled closer to the body beside hers, their noses brushing. “How’s this Friday sound?”

“Sure,” America finally opened her eyes. “Where do you want to go?”

“It’s a surprise.” Kate swept America into a light kiss. “I have to go early tomorrow, but I’ll leave you directions.”

Friday almost a week later, America followed Kate’s instructions exactly even though she was confused as all hell every step of the way. The way Kate talked about her dad and her childhood, America figured she came from money. Even so, she wasn’t quite expecting Kate to have the kind of connections that got you into a concert hall through the backstage doors and given complementary snacks before being personally escorted to a seat in the front VIP area. America thought the little sign with her name on it might be overkill.

The arena around her was huge and America felt like she was sitting in the very center of it. She almost was. As close as possible, at least. The huge stage was the literal center of attention and if America stretched her arm out she could touch it. There was only one other person in the same VIP area as her, a younger man sitting a few chairs away that was more interested in his tablet than the chattering crowd around them.

America took her own seat, leg bouncing in anticipation. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t have met Kate beforehand, why they couldn’t have come here together. It was obviously some kind of concert and Kate hadn’t given her an explanation as to why she would be late. She had simply instructed America wait for me I’ll be there after the start! at the bottom of her scribbled directions to the concert hall.

America settled in to wait for the show. It wasn’t too long before the arena dimmed, stage lights brightened, and the music started up from the stage. Fog machines kicked on as well, mystifying the audience. America just slouched further into her seat and waited for Kate.

As the music picked up, the singers began coming onto the stage one by one, belting their appointed verses. First, a tall woman appeared under a spotlight on the far right of the stage with a sleek auburn ponytail and huge yellow glasses. She sang a few lines before another spotlight joined hers on the far left. Another woman entered the stage singing, this one shorter with thick brown curls and wearing a dress decorated with a lightning bolt.

Those two took the stage for the first half of the song, an upbeat melody that had the crowd cheering and dancing along already before a third singer appeared from a second level added to the stage. A tiny blonde sang her way down the stairs to join her counterparts and they finished out the song together. The music died down beneath the thunderous cheers that echoed in America’s skull. She shifted uncomfortably as they kept glancing at the VIP area. In an arena full of hundreds of people, she felt as though they were staring right at her.

“Welcome everyone!” the first singer yelled cheerily into her microphone. “We’ll really get going in a moment, but I’m sure you’ve noticed we’re missing someone.”

“Don’t worry, she’s here! She’s right backstage,” the second singer added, quieting some of the murmuring that had erupted from the audience. “And she wanted us to help make this next song very special.”

America shifted in her seat. Again, they were staring right at her. She just wanted Kate to come find her so they could sit through this concert together.

“So here goes nothing!” the last singer chirped as music started up again. The drumbeat pounded through the soles of America’s boots and shook her seat before the words started.

But the lyrics weren’t being sung by any of the singers already on stage. They were coming from a semi-familiar sounding voice still hidden behind a draping of curtains in the back. At the start of the third line of the first verse, all three singers turned to face the makeshift door.

The curtains separated and America found herself staring right at Kate.

She stepped through the parted curtains and sang the chorus in harmony with the other women. Dressed from head to toe in shades of purple, America knew there was no mistake. That was Kate up there on stage. Her Kate. Singing.

America felt a swell of pride her voice was just as beautiful as it sounded whispering adoration into her ear. The morning after their second date, America had woken to the sound of Kate singing in the shower. She thought Kate sounded brilliant, but never in a million years would she have considered that Kate made a living with her voice.

She snorted at herself. No wonder Kate had been so inquisitive after America had told her she didn’t listen to the radio.

As Kate continued to belt out the lyrics, America shook herself from her astonishment and forced herself to listen to the words. She was pleased to find that Kate and her cohorts were singing a kind of love song, a happy, uplifting song about enjoying time spent with another person. And Kate’s bright blue eyes never strayed from America’s.

Feeling herself smiling, America allowed herself to clap along to the beat of the music with the rest of the crowd. She could safely say she had never been so surprised in her life. America completely lost herself to laughter when Kate winked at her at a poignant part of the chorus.

The song ended with an abrupt beat, the audience following immediately with an ear-splitting applause. America watched Kate, beaming from ear to ear as she was surrounded by the other singers. She threw up a hand to wave to everyone, even blowing a few kisses, as she made her way to the edge of the stage and kneeled in front of America’s seat.

America stood to meet her, the stage floor coming up to her nose and Kate’s lap now at eye-level.

“Imagine meeting you here,” America shouted over the noise. Kate set her microphone to the side.

“Sorry to spring this on you,” she replied, still catching her breath from singing. “Figured go big or go home, right?”

“I’m impressed.” America placed her hands on Kate’s thighs. “I don’t think I’ll be able to top this for our next date.” Kate smiled impossibly wider at her words.

“I have to finish the show,” Kate said. “But come backstage after. They’re expecting you, of course.” She dipped her head to drop a kiss against America’s forehead. America smiled at the woman sitting above her, all poised confidence under stage lights and surrounded by a cheering arena.

“Sure thing, Princess.”


End file.
